5 Best New Artists for February '13

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Who: Big-voiced, heavy-hearted San Jose rapper swirling around in the same circles as West Coast weedhead crew Main Attrakionz (the duo makes a cameo in Antwon's quasi-viral video for "Helicopter"). Antwon, though, is more of a traditionalist (his rapping and beat-riding invoke the glory of the '90s) and far stranger, incorporating the energy and emotions of say, hardcore and shoegaze. Last year's mixtape End of Earth found room for Pictureplane-produced Suzanne Vega snippets, a Grimes sample, and casually tragic one-liners about breakups and a brain full of pills.

File Next To: Cannibal Ox, Notorious B.I.G., Shady Blaze

Where to Start: The Cities Aviv-produced "Still Guarded," off Antwon's mixtape In Dark Denim, out on Valentine's Day from Greedhead.